Face in the Crowd
by paynesgrey
Summary: The Doctor recognized her immediately within the crowd of people. ONESHOT.


AN: Written for the "Crowds" theme at who-contest on Dreamwidth. Completed one-shot.

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**Face in the Crowd**

Even among the shuffle of people within the Lord Mayor's Show of London, the Doctor recognized her immediately from her crop of red hair and booming voice. She was clutching a small toddler girl of brown wild curls and wide brown eyes to her chest and screaming at two twin boys of the same wild hair and eyes as they ran around her legs, playing a game of tag. She was trying to quiet them down as the parade started, and even her husband, the father of the wild twin boys and toddler, looked absolutely defeated and exhausted in trying to wrangle his kids.

Out of curiosity, the Doctor shuffled through the crowd of people toward the family. Donna Temple-Noble would no doubt consider her a stranger if the Doctor ever came up to her. It was for the former companion's safety, though the Doctor grinned to herself, wondering if Donna would even believe that in this incarnation she was a woman, and not the tall, slim and energetic man she once traveled time and space with.

The Doctor watched them with joy, glad that Donna and her family looked happy, and that even though the woman didn't remember traveling with the Doctor, she could see that their travels at least influenced her in some way by how she carried herself with confidence and authority.

She silently thanked the TARDIS for bringing her on this day, though the Doctor was meant to meet up with Yaz for the parade, so far she hadn't been able to find her. Seeing Donna, though, was a nice distraction.

As the Doctor's mind wandered, she continued to watch Donna's family with interest. She heard a familiar voice call her name, and the Doctor turned around. In the corner of her eye, the Doctor saw Donna look over at her, and then her face crinkled in a strange, curious expression. Then, Donna hollered as one of her boys took off in a run, coincidentally in the direction of the Doctor.

The Doctor spun around, but it was too late. The young boy had already collided with her side. The Doctor wasn't prepared for the impact and fell backwards on her bum.

"Oof!" she said, still not used to this lithe, feminine frame.

"Doctor!" Yaz yelled, and she was trying unsuccessfully to get to her through the thicket of people of the crowd, pushing and trying to wiggle her way through.

The boy stepped back bewildered, and a little ashamed, and then his fuming mother stomped up behind him.

"Freddy! Look what you've done! I told you to stay put and not run off like that," she scolded him, and she turned to the Doctor who was rising from her spot. Donna's voice carried throughout the crowd, and many people were shuffling away from them, giving the angry mother a wide berth. Yaz was able to catch up, and then Donna turned to the Doctor with a more tempered expression.

"I'm terribly sorry, ma'am. He can be a handful, and he will be rightly punished for pushing you," Donna said, pulling on her son's ear as he winced.

The Doctor held up her hands and chuckled. "No worries. I'm alright. It was just a small accident. I wasn't paying attention and looking for my friend. All is well," she said, and Donna looked relieved.

"Well, good, thanks. Yeah, I'm glad you're not hurt, or upset. These kids have caused me trouble before with strangers," she said. "They don't seem to sit still. Always want to go on adventures."

The Doctor grinned, and she met Freddy's face, who looked at her with large eyes and a gaping mouth. "Freddy, was your name, eh? Well, I can't blame you for having fun and wanting to go on adventures. Don't know if I agree with your mum, but I want to tell you to keep exploring and dreaming… and well, try not to give your mum a fright while doing it. Though I'm sure that last bit is impossible…"

Freddy smiled. Donna was smiling too, but she was looking at the Doctor with that same strange, perplexed expression from before.

"Hey, you seem like…" she began, and the Doctor tensed, wondering if Donna's memory was starting to surface somehow. "Nevermind. It's nothing. Thanks for understanding. Come on, Freddy. Your dad is probably having a hard time with Cody and Mara." Donna gave the Doctor one last smile which was returned, and Yaz and the Doctor watched them as they made their way back to their family in the crowd.

"Nice lady," Yaz commented, and she gave the Doctor a side-eyed glance. "You act as though you know her."

"I do. She was once a companion of mine," the Doctor said, and Yaz looked at her with surprise. "And she doesn't remember… for her own safety."

Yaz frowned, and the Doctor could almost hear the thoughts churning in her companion's head. _Will that happen to me? Will the Doctor make me forget?_

"I'll have to tell you about it some time," the Doctor said quietly, and Yaz nodded, wishing she could know the reason now. Though, the Doctor did not look ready to open up.

Yaz was sure that whatever had happened between the Doctor and that woman still stung, and Yaz felt sympathy for both of them, for the Doctor who remembered their times together, and the woman whose life was changed because of the Doctor in some way, and she would never remember how and she would always be missing those precious memories.

"But for now, let's enjoy the parade! Ooh, look at float! Ha, it looks like a large floating orange baby with blond hair! Why does it look so familiar?" the Doctor said, as she became distracted by the parade. Yaz shifted closer to her, the thought of losing her memories of the Doctor still plaguing her brain.

Almost on a reflex, she gave into her feelings and brushed her hand against the Doctor's. The Doctor turned to her with a big grin, and took Yaz's hand in hers with a tight squeeze, not letting go and acting as though it was the most normal thing in the world.

Yaz held on to her hand like her memories of the Doctor, desperate to never let go.

END


End file.
